Archive
REVIEW – Gremlins
Directed by: Joe Dante
Produced by: Michael Finnell
Written by: Chris Columbus
Edited by: Tina Hirsch
Cinematography by: John Hora
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Francess Lee McCain, Corey Feldman, Dick Miller, Judge Reinhold, Glynn Turman, Polly Holliday, Keye Luke, Frank Welker, Howie Mandel
Year: 1984
Don’t expose them to bright lights. Do not get them wet. And never, ever feed them after midnight. The three rules about owning a mogwai are pretty well-known, even to people like me, who went a couple decades of their lives before seeing either of the Gremlins films – one of the most often cited Christmas films for people who don’t want a traditional Christmas film – much like Die Hard or even last year’s Krampus, itself kind of an adult Gremlins. I wasn’t allowed to see this movie growing up – the combination of monsters, magic, and the fact that it was a horror film were pretty critical factors in that. And probably in a lot of other kids’ lives, too, since it was a major reason why the PG-13 rating was created. Alongside Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, due to their scarier and more violent content than the usual PG-rated film, Steven Spielberg collaborated with the MPAA and created a rating between PG and R due to the films he was producing. I only ever got around to seeing it as an adult – not, mind you, because my mom told me I couldn’t all my life (that had long since passed, even as a kid). I just never got around to it until then! Luckily, I think I’ve held on to my inner child… Read more…
Review: “Stand by Me”
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Produced by: Bruce A. Evans, Andrew Scheinman
Written by: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon (screenplay)
Edited by: Robert Leighton
Cinematography by: Thomas Del Ruth
Music by: Jack Nitzsche
Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Richard Dreyfuss, Bradley Gregg, Casey Siemaszko, Marshall Bell, Frances Lee McCain, John Cusack
Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King
Year: 1986
Based on the Stephen King novella The Body and reportedly being the first film adaptation of King’s work that he fully approved of, Rob Reiner’s adaptation, Stand By Me (renamed due to the producers apparently thinking people would think the novella’s original sounded a little too dark or even perverse) is one of those quintessential “coming of age” films – indeed it may be the coming of age film. So much so that watching it for the first time these days after nearly three decades of imitators may take a little bit of adjusted expectations – you may have seen this done elsewhere. Stand by Me sets itself apart, however, with emotional honesty and engaging performances on the part of its four young leads. Read more…
10 Movies That Have Made Me Cry (…or at Least Tear Up): 10 – 6
I recently watched the movie Radio for the first time. I was told that it could possibly make me cry by several people before, and the movie had been sitting in my Netflix queue for quite a while, though I hadn’t watched it because, let’s face it, who wants to just watch a movie that will just make you cry? But then, I sometimes am that person. I thought to myself, “You know, after watching The Walking Dead, I could really use a movie like that.”
It wasn’t that the episode of The Walking Dead I had just watched was just particularly grim, or anything, but I felt like watching something emotionally uplifting and inspirational. Radio seemed to fit that bill, and so I threw it on and… nothing. Nothing came out. Sure, it had a few recognizably tear-worthy moments but, overall? Nothing. Not even tears of joy. I was profoundly disappointed.
Am I the only one who wants to have these emotional outbursts with movies sometimes? I wasn’t sad. I wasn’t depressed. I wasn’t extraordinarily tired. I just wanted to watch something profoundly, emotionally true. Unfortunately, Radio is just not that great of a movie to begin with. And while I don’t normally find myself crying at movies, I doubt that I’m a cold, emotionless jerk. Afterall, there have been more than a few movies that have gotten me to that breaking point — even ones that aren’t particularly good, come to think of it. (Man… did Radio just suck that much?)
So, I submit to you this list. A list of ten movies that, in some way or another, have made me either cry or, at the very least, tear up consistently. Watch these movies, and I dare you to not feel emotionally touched, at least at some point during the movie. (Also, I’m apparently a very sensitive man, so please be nice…) Read more…
